The Kyiv Independent

⚡️Ukrainian public broadcaster launches broadcasting separate from state-sponsored telethon. Suspilne, a Ukrainian public broadcaster, said on May 21 it had launched its own news broadcasting on the Pershyi nationwide TV channel separate from the telethon. The so-called telethon was launched at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. It was created by merging the coverage of Ukraine's biggest TV channels. The telethon was initially seen as a legitimate response to Russia's aggression but later it was accused of monopolizing television coverage and stifling dissent.

Ukraine state-owned enterprises weekly — Issue 132 In this week's issue of Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly: Ukrenergo begins rolling emergency power outages for households and industry in all regions, Centrenergo continues to clear the rubble after Russian missile attacks on two thermal power plants, and more. Photo: Ethan Swope/Bloomberg

⚡European Commission says Ukraine will receive first payment of revenue from frozen Russian assets in July. Ukraine will receive the first delivery of funds stemming from the revenue of frozen Russian assets in July, the European Commission said on May 21.

⚡US lawmakers urge Pentagon to permit Ukraine's use of US-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia. A bipartisan group of U.S. members of Congress wrote a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on May 20, urging the Pentagon to permit Ukraine to strike Russian territory with U.S.-supplied weapons.

⚡️Zelensky: Situation in Donetsk Oblast difficult but there is military success in Kharkiv Oblast. The situation on the front line in the direction of Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk, and Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast remains extremely difficult, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his May 21 evening address. He added, however, that Ukrainian forces are successfully destroying Russian troops in Kharkiv Oblast.

⚡️Defense Ministry: 700,000 draft-aged men update military documents after launch of online app. Over 1 million military-aged men have registered in the mobile application Rezerv+, while 700,000 have updated military documents via it as of May 21, the Defense Ministry reported. Ukraine has made steps to update the legal framework around conscription to ramp up mobilization this year. Zelensky signed a new law on mobilization on April 16.

⚡Governor: Around 100 civilians remain in Vovchansk, Russians have threatened to shoot them. Around 100 Ukrainian civilians remain in the embattled town of Vovchansk, but Russian forces refuse to allow them to leave and have threatened to shoot them, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on state television on May 21.

⚡️Military: Ukrainian forces stabilize situation in Kharkiv Oblast, including Vovchansk. Ukrainian troops have stabilized the military situation in Kharkiv Oblast, including the town of Vovchansk, but it remains "complex," Nazar Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Khortytsia group of forces, said on television on May 21. Ukraine's Defense Ministry confirmed on May 15 that Russian units had entered the northern parts of Vovchansk. The Ukrainian military said at the time it had prevented Russia from establishing a foothold deeper in the town.

⚡Tucker Carlson's team denies launching show on Russian TV. The Russian state television network Rossiya 24 posted episodes of a purported new show with U.S. far-right political commentator and conspiracy theorist Tucker Carlson on May 21, but Carlson's team said he had nothing to do with it.

⚡Tucker Carlson's team says reports of new show on Russian state-run TV are 'pure nonsense.' Neil Patel, the CEO of the Tucker Carlson Network, wrote on X that the company "has not done any deals with state media in any country."